Community petition delivery to Parliament calling on decision makers to stop the North East Link

This Thursday, community members will gather at Parliament steps to deliver a petition calling on Premier Daniel Andrews, Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan and Planning Minister Richard Wynne to stop the $16 billion North East Link toll road.

The event marks the end of the public hearings where concerned citizens had the opportunity to raise issues about the project before an independent panel.

The Federal Government has launched an 'Inquiry into the prerequisites for nuclear energy in Australia' and are accepting submissions until 16 September.

Nuclear power is a dangerous distraction from real movement on the pressing energy decisions and climate actions we need. Rather than fuel carbon emissions and radioactive risk through domestic coal power plants and the export of coal and uranium, Australia should embrace the fastest growing global energy sector ‒ renewables ‒ and become a driver of clean energy thinking and technology. Renewable energy is affordable, low risk, clean, and popular. Nuclear is simply not. Our shared energy future is renewable, not radioactive.

Friends of the Earth is excited to announce that we have joined together with unions, community groups to become part of the recently launched Cooperative Power energy cooperative.

Cooperative Power is a newly formed cooperative for Australia's energy sector. This new model takes the power back from huge energy corporations, for the benefit of people and our planet. It's a new way for people to buy energy and have a say in how it's created and how much it costs.

The Cooperative Power vision is to have a socially and community-owned retailer that invests in and purchases community renewable energy, and subsidises the roll out of energy efficiency improvements as well as renewable energy infrastructure for working-class households. No one, and no community should be left behind by the transition.

While fracking (unconventional gas drilling) was banned permanently, a moratorium was placed on onshore conventional exploration and drilling. This has been in force since 2014, has been extended once, and will expire on June 30, 2020.

Having a ban and moratorium has given certainty to farming communities, who can feel safe from the negative threats of local gas production. It has also stopped new fossil fuels from being developed in a time where climate science makes it abundantly clear that the time for new coal, gas and oil is over.

Now the community faces the prospect of the moratorium being lifted and exploration and conventional gas drilling starting again.

There is a huge appetite for more public transport in Melbourne – when the Suburban Rail Loop was first announced the public celebration was enormous. People want public transport to be prioritised. But will the Suburban Rail Loop meet expectations?

Responding to the announcement that a Victorian Parliamentary inquiry will investigate the suitability of nuclear power, Dr Jim Green, national anti-nuclear campaigner with Friends of the Earth Australia, said: “Nuclear power has priced itself out of any serious debate about Australia’s energy options but it has become part of the culture wars driven by conservative ideologues.”

The Federal Government has stepped up its attempt to bully NSW and Victoria into opening up new gas fields.

“This is part of a long running campaign by the fossil fuel industry and conservative MPs, with the support from some conservative and business media outlets” said Friends of the Earth co-ordinator Cam Walker.

“These groups continue to push the argument that the moratorium on onshore gas drilling and ban on fracking in Victoria are driving up gas prices for consumers. However, what we have is a failure of the market and government policy, not a lack of supply.”

Friends of the Earth acknowledge that we meet and work on the land of the Wurundjeri people and that sovereignty of the land of the Kulin Nation were never ceded. We pay respect to their Elders, past and present, and acknowledge the pivotal role that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to play within the Australian community.